Air-regulating means for liquid-fuel furnaces



' sept. 1s, 192s. 1,685,031

B. H. NOLAND AIR REGULATING MEANS FOR LIQUID FUEL FURNACES Filed Feb. s, i923 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

uri s BARTON H. NOLAND, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AR-REGULATING MEANS FOR LIQUID-FUEL FURNACES.

Application led February 6, 1923. Serial No. 617,421.

This invention relates to means for varying the volume of air for combustion purposes supplied `to liquid fuel furnaces,and my improvement is directed particularly to automatic control means, actuated by the pressure of liquid fuel, so that proportionate quantities of liquid fuel and air are introduced into a furnace under all variations of heat production found desirable.

The objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromy the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan detail view of the uid pressure actuated means and the intermediary means of balanced control for the air container.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an end View of Fig. 3.

In the example of my invention illustrated in the drawings, I have shown an expansible air container in the form of a tank open at-Y its upper end, and consisting of a base 1, with two, spaced surrounding walls 2, 3, the space 4 between these walls serving to contain liquid and to receive the wall 5 of an inverted bell'6. Air under pressure flows from pipe 'B through pipe 7a to the container, be-

tween base 1, bell 6, and inner Wall 2 through a port 7. Hence, the inverted bell 6- is capable of rising and falling relatively to the stationary walls 2 and 3. The liquid in spa ce 4 effectually seals the contained air against escape. It is intended that the air supplied to the container through inlet,7 shall come from the same pressure source, such as the blower A, that supplies the liquid fuel furnace in whose equipment the present invention is included. Steam for the operation of the blower is supplied by a pipe 8 having'a control valve 9 whichV is actuated by lever 10. The inverted bell 6, being susceptible of vertical movement', is provided with balanced means for actuating the valve 9, to regulate the volume of steam passed to the engine, in a manner which will appear hereinafter.

A vertical standard .11, which maLy, as shown, be secured to the side of the air container, and which ishere a pair of parallel members, suitably bolted together, in spaced relation, carries a transversely disposed, knife-edge bearing 12, and upon this bearing there is balanced a horizontal beam 13, which is provided with a suitable seat 14 to co-act with bearing 12. A strap 15, secured to the under surface of beam 13, is provided to enclose the bearing 12 and prevent dislodgment of the beam.

Assuming the pressure of air within the container, to be variable according to the governed operation of the blower, it is the function of the beam 13 to provide a balance between the bell 6 and certain liquid fuel pressure actuated means to be presently described. I provide a weight 16 which is sus pended from a carriage 17 adapted to travel along the beam 13 to counterbalance the weight of the bell 6. The latter is hung from one free end of the beam by fiexible connections 18. It is to be understood that the variable pressure o f air acting upward on the bell 6 is governed by the joint action of the counterweight and the means responsive to the pressure of liquid fuel supplied to the furnace in a manner to be described herein after. Attached to the carriage 17 is a sleeve 18,through which passes a horizontal rod 19, which at 21 pivotally engages a vertical rod 20. A thumb screw 22 in the sleeve 18 serves to adjustably secure rod 19 in position. The vertical rod 20 is threaded into a slotted member 23, having the slot 24,l provided with a transverse pin 25, that pivotally engages a fitting 26, to which a horizontal rod 26a is secured, the rod 260L lying substantially parallel with rod 19.

The rod 26, at its outer end, carries a head piece 27, that bears against a flexible diaphragm 28, whose outer portion is clamped between a ring 29 and a cup-shaped member 30, bolts 31 securing these members in their diaplnagm,.clam}')ing relation. The organism comprising the members 29 and 30, with the diaphragm, is rigidly secured to the standard 11 as by a bracket 32. A section of rod 33 is secured to the member 23 and forms in effect an upper extension of rod 20. Said rod section 33 has a ring 34 fitted thereon, opposite trunnion portions of this ring being journalled in respective bearing members 35-35 secured to the spaced members of standard 11. rlfhe ring 34 thus provides a fulcrum about which the rod 2() can be rocked.

The diaphragm is normally held against threaded rods 38-38 that extend between l su the ring 29 and a plate 39 carried by the standard 11. 'f

The cup-shaped member 30 is provided with a threaded orifice 40 to receive the end of pipe 41, which is connected to the liquid fuel supply pipe 41a. Thus the variable pressures at which liquid fuel is supplied to the furnace are transmitted to the diaphragm 28.

It will be evident that according t'o the degree ofv pressure exerted on the diaphragm 28 and the consequent extent to whichsit yields, the rod 26awill be correspondingly moved against the tension of spring 36, this movement swaying the rod 2O and its eXtension 33 about the fulcrum bearings 35 thereby causing the rod 19 to shift the carriage 17 and weight 16 relatively to the knife edge 12.

1 This shifting of the weight 16 nearer tothe knife edge pivot 12 of the beam will vary the leverage and permit the bell 6 to descend. It is through the instrumentality of means now to be described that the volume of air supplied to the furnace from a suitable source will be governed.

I have shown attached to the beam 13 at its end adjacent the air container, a flexible cable 42 which is guided by pulleys 43 and 44 respectively positioned at opposite sides of the valve lever 10. A weight 45 is secured to the free rend of the cable serving to hold it taut. This vweight also tends to rock the ,valve lever when the beam 13 is lifted.

Movement of the weight 16 toward the fulcrum or knife edge 12 along the beam 13 caused b the increase of liquid fuel pressure on the '-iaphragm 28, permits the bell 6 to sink slightly thereby pulling the cable 42 and shifting valvelever 1() to the left. This actuat'esy the valve 9 in sueh manner that a greater volume of steam passes through the pipe 8. The speed of the blower is thus increased and hence supplies a larger volume of air to thefurnace through'du'ct B. n Thus it is apparent that the air supplied to the furnace by the blower varies 'by`reason of the varying pressure of liquid fuel'` reacting on the diathe pressure of air suppliedto the furnace and will thus meet the changing conditions of support required by bell 6. `For, as the weight 16 moves toward the beam fulcrum, thereby tending to destroy the equilibrium between weight 16 and bell 6, the air pressure in thel container increases proportionately and reacts on the bell 6, to resist a greater descent thereof than is necessary to permit the desired further opening of valve 9.

ln practice the liquid fuel pressure, acting 4pressure of liquid fuel vsupplied to a furnace operating under forced draft, this is by way of example only, as the invention is equally applicable to furnaces operable under natural draft. Also the particular -devices herein shown whereby proportioning of the air to the Mliquid fuelis effected are merely. representative of practical means, which may ob! viously be of other suitable character, for carrying out the invention.

Variations within the spirit and scope of l my invention are equally comprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

I claim:

' 1. In combination with a furnace having separate pressure delivery means for fuel and for air, means for controllingthe delivery of air and a balanced mechanism controlled by both the pressure of the fuel and the pressure of the air for maintaining a substantially constant ratio between the quantities of fuel and air delivered to the furnace.

2. In a furnace system having separate pressure delivery means for liquid fuel and v air, in combination, means for varyin the pressure at which air 1sv dellvered, a liquld fuel pressure actuated device, a balanced con nection between the air pressure varying means and said device, and mea-ns aetuable by said device arranged to control the action of said balanced connection.

3. In combination with av furnace having separate pressure delivery means for liquid fuel and air, an air container in communication with the air delivery means, a pressure actuated device in communication with the liquid fuel delivery means, balanced connecting means between the air container and said device, means for supplying air under pressure to said air delivery means, driving means operatively connected with said vair supply means, and means actuable by the air container for controlling said driving means.

4. In combination with a furnace having separate pressure delivery means for fuel and 'for air, a prime mover and an air blower for supplying air to the furnace, means for controlling said prime' mover and a balancing mechanism controlled jointl by the pressure of fuel and air for maintaining a substantially constant ratio between the quantities of fuel and air. delivered, said balancing means comprising an air actuated bell communicating with said air delivery means, and adapted to transmit movement to said prime mover controlling means, and a device controlled by the pressure of ,the fuel to govern the movement transmitted from said bell to said prime mover controlling means.

5. In combination with a furnace having separate pressurev delivery means for fuel and for air, a power driven blower for supplying air to the furnace and control means for said power driven yblower amd a balancing mechanism controlled jointly by the pressure of the fuel and air for maintaining a substantially constant ratio between the quantities of fuel and air delivered, Said balancing mechanism comprising an air actuated -container communicatingwith said air delivery means and adapted to transmit movement to said control means, a device controlled by the pressure of the fuel and a balance arm actuated by said air container and carrying a movable weight which is shifted by said device in response to variations of the fuel pressure. f

Signed at the borough'of Manhattan in the city, county and State of New York this 25th day of January, A. D. 1.923.

BARTON H. NOLAND. 

